Students rally to put a full stop on poverty
By Anne Selvarani Albert KUALA LUMPUR, 20 September 2008 - Childhood should be a blissful time: a time spent playing with friends, enjoying a favorite toy, savoring an ice- cream or even planning for the first day of school. But many children in the developing world still spend most of their childhood struggling to survive, without much hope for a secure and productive life. Globally, over 1 billion children suffer from at least one form of poverty or another. Grappling with poverty For seven year old Malaysian, Norzarina, life is not a bed of roses. Her parents earn a meager salary from working as odd job laborers and paddy farmers. With so little money at hand each month, they practically live from hand-to-mouth. Norzarina’s mother, Jamilah Hamid, grapples with ensuring that Norzarina and her two sisters get nutritious meals everyday. “If I have a little extra money from work, I can feed my children with more food. If I don’t, I can only afford the bare minimum. We cannot eat good food like other people.” Going to bed with empty stomachs Too many children go to bed with empty stomachs because of poverty. Children from poor families are less likely to enroll in and complete schooling because of the associated costs of attending school, even when it is provided "free''. The cost of uniforms, stationary and transportation may well be beyond the means of a poor family, especially when the family has several children of schooling age. Unfortunately, this means that choices have to be made, and the choice is often to drop out of school. Students join forces Realising the disadvantages faced by children living in the realm of poverty, some 50 students from the Faculty of Science and Technology, University Kebangsaan Malaysia came together to champion the launch of the Universal Peace Federation’s (UPF) “Power of 10 Sens” campaign. UNICEF Representative to Malaysia, Mr. Youssouf Oomar who launched the Campaign together with UPF’s Chairman Tan Sri Datin Paduka Seri Hajah Zaleha Ismail, expressed his delight and appreciation for the leadership and engagement of young people in the campaign. “Poverty reduction is about providing people with the basic capabilities to live in dignity. As youth and future leaders of this country, your voice and contributions matter the most in making poverty history”, said Mr. Youssouf. “Now more than ever, there is a need for us to unite and surge ahead, knowing that – a better, poverty free world is possible.” The Campaign will benefit UNICEF, the International Relief Friendship Foundation and Yayasan Amal Malaysia.
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